The Casual Vacancy

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early 40s, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils.... Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen.

Ben says:"Stick with it"

Now a major TV adaptation

The BBC adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novel aired this February. Starring Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie and Keeley Hawes, The Casual Vacancy centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey. But what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties leaving a seat on the parish council, an election emerges fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations.

Northern Lights: His Dark Materials Trilogy, Book 1

This is the first book in the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Award-winning trilogy His Dark Materials, from Philip Pullman. Set in a parallel world very similar to our own, Northern Lights tells the compelling story of 12-year-old Lyra's quest to rescue her friend and find her father, aided by her daemon, an armoured bear, and a witch-queen.

Good Omens: The BBC Radio 4 dramitisation

A full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman's celebrated apocalyptic comic novel, with bonus length episodes and outtakes. According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday in fact. Just after Any Answers on Radio 4....Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days. The armies of Good and Evil are gathering and making their way towards the sleepy English village of Lower Tadfield.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own family. He employs journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history.

Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister - The Complete Audio Collection

Between 1980 and 1988 on BBC television and radio, the exploits of the Rt Hon Jim Hacker MP (Paul Eddington) - later Prime Minister - kept the British nation enthralled. Helped - and hampered - by his diligent Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne) and his Principle Private Secretary Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds), Hacker and his department became synonymous with government bureaucracy and administrative double dealing.

Neverwhere [Adaptation]

A BBC Radio six-part adaptation of Neil Gaiman's best-selling novel, starring James McAvoy as Richard and Natalie Dormer as Door. Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere....

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Volume 1

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists are murdered and Salander's fingerprints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable behaviour makes her the official suspect, but no-one can find her. Salander may be an expert at staying out of sight, but she also has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Volume 2

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

Dad's Army: Complete Radio Series One

Twenty episodes from the first BBC Radio series plus an hour-long Christmas special, starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, and Clive Dunn.

In 1973 the BBC adapted its hit TV series for radio, featuring the original TV cast and characters. Three series were broadcast between 1974 and 1976, with episodes adapted from their TV counterparts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.

Dad's Army: Complete Radio Series Two

Twenty episodes from the second BBC Radio series, starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn. In 1973 the BBC adapted its hit TV series for radio, featuring the original TV cast and characters. Three series were broadcast between 1974 and 1976, with episodes adapted from their TV counterparts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles. Now you can enjoy once again these unique recordings, with a supporting cast including John Laurie, Arnold Ridley and Ian Lavender.

Cabin Pressure, The Complete Series 1

John Finnemore (Dead Ringers & Mitchell & Webb) has written this brilliant new sitcom starring Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam & Benedict Cumberbatch. Cabin Pressure is set in a small airline business. The flipside of the glamorous world of international airlines.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1

Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin, alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 2

Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin, alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

Cabin Pressure: The Complete Series 2

Stephanie Cole ("Doc Martin"), Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allam ("The Thick Of It") star in the complete second series of the hit sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult.

Cabin Pressure: The Complete Series 4

Stephanie Cole, Benedict Cumberbatch & Roger Allam star in the fourth series of the hit sitcom about the tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult. By John Finnemore (The News Quiz, Mitchell & Webb).

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Volume 2

The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragon, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme: The Complete Series 3 & 4

The complete third and fourth series of BBC Radio 4's award-winning sketch show, written by and starring the writer of Cabin Pressure. In the third and fourth series of his hit sketch show, John Finnemore examines a typically eclectic range of issues including making friends, the problem with polymath bestselling authors, the colour of posh men's trousers, and a history of choice.

Let the Right One In

Oskar and Eli. In very different ways, they were both victims. Which is why they became friends - and how they came to depend on one another, for life itself. Oskar is a 12-year-old boy living with his mother on a dreary housing estate at the city's edge. He dreams about his absentee father, gets bullied at school, and wets himself when he's frightened. Eli is the young girl who's moved in next door. She doesn't go to school and never leaves the flat by day. She is a 200-year-old vampire.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Volume 1

The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragon, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Stock market multimillionaire at 26, federal convict at 36, he partied like a rock star, lived like a king, and barely survived his rise and fall as an American entrepreneurial icon. By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could, on drugs, sex, and international globe-trotting.

Travelling to Infinity: The True Story Behind 'The Theory of Everything'

In this compelling memoir, Jane Hawking relates the inside story of her extraordinary marriage. As Stephen's academic renown soared, his body was collapsing under the assaults of motor neurone disease, and Jane's candid account of trying to balance his 24-hour care with the needs of their growing family is inspirational. This is a book about optimism, love and change that will resonate with listeners everywhere.

Alan Turing: The Enigma

It's only a slight exaggeration to say that the British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) saved the Allies from the Nazis, invented the computer and artificial intelligence, and anticipated gay liberation by decades--all before his suicide at age forty-one. This classic biography of the founder of computer science, reissued on the centenary of his birth with a substantial new preface by the author, is the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life.

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan ("the devil") and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions.

Wild

A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an 1100-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe and built her back up again. At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. After her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than an idea: vague, outlandish, and full of promise.

Gone Girl

Who are you? What have we done to each other? What will we do? Just how well can you ever know the person you love? These are the questions that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone.

Still Alice

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At 50 years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she begins to grow disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life - and her relationship with her family and the world - forever.

Teenage Diaries: Then and Now

Since 1996 the Teenage Diaries series has given tape recorders to young people around the country. They conduct interviews, keep audio journals, and record the sounds of daily life - usually collecting more than 30 hours of raw tape over the course of a year, edited into documentaries airing on NPR's All Things Considered.

The News from Lake Wobegon from A Prairie Home Companion, February 28, 2015

"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my hometown..." Garrison Keillor first did his monologue in 1974 to an audience of 20 in a St. Paul theater. Today, more than 2.2 million people tune in each week to hear the tall tales and sweet stories about the citizens of this small Minnesota town. It's a town where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all of the children are above average."

The Best of Car Talk (USA), Vehicularly Immature, February 28, 2015

This week on The Best of Car Talk, are Mari and her husband grown-up enough to graduate from a Neon to a Mercedes, even if it means having to brush their teeth and hair every day? Elsewhere, Abbie got into a fender bender with a physics professor, and hopes he can help her cover the rental car. Would she have better luck with someone from the philosophy department? Also, Ben almost managed to set his car and vacuum cleaner both on fire on the same day; Kathie's boyfriend may need to be dumped for suggesting it's okay to tailgate; and, on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Dan's truck suffered from a "classic case" of Car Talk Bogus Answer Syndrome. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Crew Speak

Film sets, like most other industries, have a unique language of their own. As the world evolves, so does the work conversation on movie sets. How we once spoke lovingly about 35-milimeter-film making.... is almost gone. Now everything is turning to digital... and that's progressing fast. Basics are still basics, but you have to keep up with the current trends. Crew Speak does just that. A perfect blend of old jargon and slang along with the new terms.

Author Richard Price on his new novel, The Whites. It tells the story of a tight-knit team of New York City cops dealing with the aftermath of the cases that got away from them. Next, a discussion about technology and business with John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems. And finally, Al Hunt talks National Security and 2016 with the Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Charlie Rose: Bill Burns, February 26, 2015

A conversation with Bill Burns, former deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to both Russia and Jordan. Burns discusses his career in government and his current role as President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The News from Lake Wobegon from A Prairie Home Companion, February 21, 2015

"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my hometown..." Garrison Keillor first did his monologue in 1974 to an audience of 20 in a St. Paul theater. Today, more than 2.2 million people tune in each week to hear the tall tales and sweet stories about the citizens of this small Minnesota town. It's a town where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all of the children are above average."

The Best of Car Talk (USA), Keep Your Chins Up, February 21, 2015

This week on The Best of Car Talk, in true Magliozzi fashion, a brotherly pat on the back turns into an insult. Hopefully, Ray can recover in time to explain why Michelle's car radio changes the station whenever someone steps on the brake.

Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce

A Signature Performance: Four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce delivers an air of lovable self-importance in his rendition of the classic social satire that remains as fresh today as the day it was published.

The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets

Simon Singh offers fascinating new insights into the celebrated television series The Simpsons: That the show drip-feeds morsels of number theory into the minds of its viewers - indeed, that there are so many mathematical references in the show, and in its sister program, Futurama, that they could form the basis of an entire university course.

The Hustons

When John Huston died at 81 on August 28, 1987, America lost a towering figure in movie history. The director of such classic films as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen, The Maltese Falcon, Prizzi's Honor, and The Dead, John Huston evoked passionate responses from everyone he encountered. He was at the center of a dynasty, with three generations of Oscar winners (Walter, John and Anjelica).

The Music of James Bond

The story of the music that accompanies the cinematic adventures of Ian Fleming's intrepid Agent 007 is one of surprising real-life drama. In The Music of James Bond, author Jon Burlingame throws open studio and courtroom doors alike to reveal the full and extraordinary history of the sounds of James Bond, spicing the story with a wealth of fascinating and previously undisclosed tales.

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight

Batman is one of the most compelling and enduring characters to come from the Golden Age of Comics, and interest in his story has only increased through countless incarnations since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say about us? Batman and Psychology explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante, including: Does Batman have PTSD? Why does he fight crime? Why as a vigilante? Why the mask, the bat, and the underage partner?

The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers

Avengers assemble! Tackling intriguing dilemmas and issues that no single great philosopher can withstand, this powerful book enlists the brainpower of an A-list team of history's most prominent thinkers to explore the themes behind the action of Marvel Comics' all-star superhero team. This thought-provoking book will help you understand this band of superheroes better, whether you've followed the Avengers for years or are a Joss Whedon fan just getting to know them.

Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of Inquiry

Since Stan Lee and Marvel introduced Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy 15 in 1962, everyone's favorite webslinger has had a long career in comics, graphic novels, cartoons, movies, and even on Broadway. In this book some of history's most powerful philosophers help us explore the enduring questions and issues surrounding this beloved superhero.

Inception and Philosophy: Because It's Never Just a Dream

Is the top still spinning? Was it all a dream? In the world of Christopher Nolan's four-time Academy Award-winning movie, people can share one another's dreams and alter their beliefs and thoughts. Inception is a metaphysical heist film that raises more questions than it answers: Can we know what is real? Can you be held morally responsible for what you do in dreams? What is the nature of dreams, and what do they tell us about the boundaries of "self" and "other"?

Winter is Coming: Symbols and Hidden Meanings in A Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones fans watch in delight as the epic battle of Lannister and Stark entangles the Seven Kingdoms. But only the sharpest notice how these houses echo Lancaster and York in the War of the Roses. Druids, Catholics, and even Zoroastrians wander through Westeros, reframing their religions for a new world of fantasy. But how medieval is Westeros? Did lady knights and pirates really battle across Europe? The audiobook Winter is Coming: Symbols and Hidden Meanings in A Game of Thrones explores all this and more, from the echoes of history to the symbols and omens our beloved characters.

Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords

George R. R. Martin's New York Times best-selling epic fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and the HBO television show adapted from it, have earned critical acclaim and inspired fanatic devotion. This book delves into the many philosophical questions that arise in this complex, character-driven series, including: Is it right for a "good" king to usurp the throne of a "bad" one and murder his family? How far should you go to protect your family and its secrets? In a fantasy universe with medieval mores and ethics, can female characters reflect modern feminist ideals?

Chain Saw Confidential: How We Made the World's Most Notorious Horror Movie

This fascinating literary memoir of the making of The Chainsaw Massacre comes from the unique perspective of Gunnar Hansen, the actor who played the chain saw-wielding Leatherface. A critically acclaimed poet and author, Hansen tells the real story of the film, debunking myths, giving behind-the-scenes details, and offering insights on the film's reception and our enduring fascination with the horror genre today.

Documentary Superstars: How Today's Filmmakers Are Reinventing the Form

When did documentaries get glamorous? Documentary Superstars looks at the history of documentaries and traces their transition from hands-off to in your face. Exclusive interviews with Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock, Errol Morris, George Clooney, Sacha Baron Cohen, Morgan Freeman, Al Gore, and more of the biggest names in the field show the impact of the documentary style on mainstream movies and on our society.

The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler

To continue doing business in Germany, Hollywood studios agreed not to make films attacking Nazis or condemning persecution of Jews. Ben Urwand reveals this collaboration and the cast of characters it drew in, ranging from Goebbels to Louis B. Mayer. At the center was Hitler himself - obsessed with movies and their power to shape public opinion.

Judy: A Legendary Film Career

Judy: A Legendary Film Career tells the story of Garland's movie work in unprecedented detail. Hundreds of never-before-published photos, newly-assembled contemporary reviews, insight from her costars and coworkers, and production histories are provided for each film in which she appeared. Highlighting and complimenting the feature films is a definitive biography; an examination of Judy's short subjects; details of the movies she did not complete; and an enthralling compendium of film projects for which she was considered or rumored.

Where There's Smoke: Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man: A Memoir

Chronicling his own life and times, William B. Davis, the actor who played the notorious villain Cancerman on The X-Files, discusses his loves, losses, hopes, fears, and accomplishments in this unique and engaging autobiography. An all-access look into the life of a versatile actor, this life story includes anecdotes, recollections, and gossip from roles with such greats as Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Martin Sheen, Brian Dennehy, and Donald Sutherland. From theater school in Britain to Hollywood and appearances on Smallville and Stargate SG-1, this memoir recalls one actor's journey.

The Science of James Bond

From the sleek Aston Martin that spits out bullets, nails, and passengers at the push of a button to the microjet that makes hairpin turns to avoid a heat-seeking missile, the science and technology of James Bond films have kept millions of movie fans guessing for decades. Are these amazing feats and gadgets truly possible? The Science of James Bond takes you on a fascinating excursion through the true science that underlies Bond's most fantastic and off-the-wall accoutrements.

Frontline: Reporting from the World's Deadliest Places

Remember turning on the television and seeing shots of rockets fired at night in the first Gulf War, the first massacre victims in Kosovo, the US bomb that killed women and children in a bunker in Baghdad, and Mullah Omar declaring holy war for the Taliban? The men and women at the Frontline news agency believed the public should see the true horrors of war and courageously went where other news organisations feared to tread. Risking everything to show the truth, they travelled the world's most dangerous places in a quest to live life to the full, a quest some paid for with their lives. This is their story.

Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction

In this concise, crisply written guide, Patricia Aufderheide takes listeners along the diverse paths of documentary history and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to represent reality and to tell the truths worth telling. Beginning with an overview of the central issues of documentary filmmaking - its definitions and purposes, its forms and founders - Aufderheide focuses on several of its key subgenres...

Documentary Filmmakers Speak

Filmmakers, film students, documentary makers for film and television, and lovers of pop culture will hear, in the filmmakers' own words, the challenges and triumphs faced in making documentaries. Firsthand knowledge is shared on such topics as how the documentary process differs from making fictional films, storytelling technique, ethical boundaries, funding, film festivals, and much more.